I worked to help him accomplish
what I refer to as a “brain dump,” which is the first step in creating a
speech. He didn’t want to use a speech writer, as he preferred writing it
himself but needed help getting started isolating and expanding his ideas. He
knew the presentation message had to be relevant to his audience and he had to deliver
it with impact.

I guarantee you will sometime
in your career face a similar challenge: to influence and inspire people. Given
that strong possibility, I suggest you listen up because now are some of the
best opportunities, until 2016, to see the Democrats and Republicans delivering
speeches non-stop.

Clinton clearly knew what he
wanted to accomplish, and the text changes needed to complete the task were
developing on a daily basis. His unstated goal was to change the way the
undecided in the audience thought about Barack Obama and to act on it – cast a vote
for Barack Obama for president.

I have nicknamed Bill
Clinton’s speech to the Democratic National Convention the “Now Listen to Me”speech. He was teacher, parent and philosopher as he implored the audience in
the hall and those watching at home to hang on while he made his points.

Why was the speech successful
and so well received? Clinton became a storyteller harkening back to the Greek
slave Aesop, who would tell a story and then suggest what should be done. Clinton cleverly
accomplished the same kind of storytelling through the use of dialogue: us vs.
them themes; repetition/stickiness through “Listen to me, now”; and folksy
rhetoric like “I’m fixing to tell you why” or personal appeals such as “You all
got to listen carefully to this; this is really important” and “Folks, this is
really serious.”

Clinton time and again implored
us to personally engage with him: to hang on while he made his points. As I
listened, fully aware of the techniques he was using, I found myself getting
engaged with him and eager to hear more. His rhetoric, facial expressions and
overall impish body language and real schtick like “I want to nominate a man
who’s cool on the outside but who burns for America on the inside” seduced me.

Clinton’s message was
compelling and his delivery was masterful. And yes, he went on too long, as he
is famous for doing. But he got my attention; he just worked it a little too
long.

Founded by Bill Clinton in 2005,
the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) annual meeting serves many purposes:this year it coincides with the UN General
Assembly meetings so many world leaders, business leaders and politicians will
be attending. A few of an impressive list of speakers and panelists expected are
Secretary of State Hilary Clinton; Dr. Jim Yong Kim, president of the World
Bank; Mitt Romney, Republican Presidential Candidate; President Barack Obama; CEO
of IDEOTim Brown; and Wal-Mart CEO Mike
Duke.

The focus is definitely not
political, so it will be interesting to read the speeches that will focus on
major world issues like poverty, healthcare, philanthropy and female
empowerment. The CGI theme this year is “Designing for Impact.”

Already Hillary Clinton has
weighed in on this year’s theme by advancing an argument that the rich must pay
more, and she has cleverly framed a worldview by expanding on an internal
debate in the US: “There are rich people around the world, but they do not
contribute to the growth of their own country.” Expect all the speeches and
panels to contribute to or develop the “Making an Impact” theme at the 2012
Clinton Global Initiative.